Curiosity

Jones walked along the street he had been walking along all his life. Main street; every town has one. The artery of the town. A place where all life could get their sustenance, both physical and mental. Jones often liked to stop into the local grocery and get unique food items. The place always had something new to try. He was quite the adventurous type. In fact, today he was headed there when a shop caught his attention.

It was named “Curio City.” He was sure he had never seen it before. The sign above the entrance was old weathered wood. The kind that looked like it had never been properly treated and seen one thousand storms. Below the store name on the sign was “est. 1403” etched in and filled with black paint.

“Cute,” he thought. They certainly couldn’t have been around that long as he would have remembered the little shop from his many walks down this street. They must have added that little detail to give the right ambiance. He really appreciated when places went the extra mile to bring the right feel. He figured he could forgo his grocery shopping for a little bit to check out this shop. So he diverted his path and walked up to the door.

It required quite a bit of his effort to pull the door open, but with a little jolt he was able to get it moving. Once the initial pull was complete the door flowed open like it was resting on a cloud. And with that cloud came a wall of musty air that slammed into Jones’ senses. He stepped through the portal and all at once he felt like he was standing in the Galley of an old ship. He could almost feel the floor gently moving to water that he was sure didn’t exist.

“Ah, I see you have finally arrived.” A voice drifted from the back of the shop. Jones’ eyes started to adjust to the lower light and he could start to make out his surroundings. The place was carved wood from ceiling to floor. Shelves lined every wall with objects perfectly spaced from each other. An old man came out from behind a cloth curtain, which Jones had just noticed.

“This is a very interesting shop, when did you move in?” Jones inquired.

“I guess it depends on what you mean by ‘move in’.” The old man replied.

“How long have you been in business?” Jones clarified.

“Ah, since 1403. We’ve been here for ages.”

“I bet you have.” Jones said knowingly. This old man was really selling the experience. “Is there anything in particular you suggest?”

“Oh, I don’t suggest stuff,” the old man said knowingly. “I have here exactly what you need.” With that he held up an old package, meticulously wrapped.

“I bet you do.” Jones replied. “How much will I owe for this mysterious item?”

“Nothing, this is your item. The only rule is you must not open it for three years.”

“Three years? Why would I hold on to this for three years?”

“I suppose you don’t have to,” the old man said thinking to himself, “but you will. On this very day three years from now is when you will open the package.”

Tired of the weird and cryptic old man, Jones took the package and was rushed to the door by the old man. Once outside turned around to tell the old man he didn’t appreciate the cryptic package and his demeanor, he found himself staring at a brick wall.

“Three years… heh…” and with that he walked off to the grocery with the package held loosely in his hand.